


Spark of Love

by aceschwarz222



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Avengers Tower, Domestic Avengers, Electricity, Fluff and Angst, Kid Fic, Mutant Powers, Prompt Fic, Protective Avengers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-10-16 19:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10577883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceschwarz222/pseuds/aceschwarz222
Summary: Prompt request:  I was wondering if you can write a one shot or imagine where the Avengers find a 2 or 5 year old baby girl (Remington) and they find out that she's a mutant orphan who can manipulate lightning and electricity?





	1. Chapter 1

“Okay, let’s get the intel and get out of here,” Steve whispered. Nat nodded as she stood over the computer, quietly downloading heaps of data. 

“The Quinjet’s ready when you are,” Sam replied, his voice echoing through their earpieces.

“Perimeter’s still clear,” Bucky also responded.

Steve watched Nat’s fingers fly over the keyboard. “Anything we can use?” he asked.

“I think it’s HYDRA’s sleeper cell database,” she confirmed. “I’m seeing locations all over the world, but I’ll know more once we get back to New York.”

“Steve, we’ve got incoming,” Bucky announced urgently. Thankfully, Nat finished and pulled the flash drive out of the computer, and the pair headed out the door.

Bursts of gunfire exploded from outside, and Steve knew they had been compromised.

“Looks like we’re shooting our way out of this one,” Nat smiled, pulling out her gun. Steve held his shield in front of them as they stalked down the hallway.

A flash of light in the corner of his eye caused Steve to pause. “Did you see that?” he asked, turning around.

“See what?” Nat asked, eyes trained forward.

“I could use some help out here!” Bucky yelled. “Where the hell are you two, on vacation?”

“Go,” Steve insisted. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Without questioning him, Nat ran the rest of the way down the hall, body slamming two guards that had made the mistake of getting in her way.

Steve backtracked to the door where he thought he saw the light. Holding his shield in front, he tried the doorknob. Locked. Inhaling, he took a few steps back and ran at the door. It collapsed easily under the force of his shield, and Steve took a look around.

The room was barely bigger than a closet and had a small bed in the corner. They was a tray of half-eaten food on a chair, and some coloring book pages taped to the wall. He furrowed his brows in confusion because he couldn’t see where the light had come from. In fact, he didn’t see any type of lighting at all. There was only the small window from the now-splintered door. Just as he was about to leave, Steve’s eyes landed on a small figure on the bed. A little girl. She couldn’t have been older than four, and her big, brown eyes stared uneasily up at Steve as he towered over her in the doorway.

“Guys,” he said, “we’ve got a problem.”

“You think!” Sam yelled back. “The outside is crawling with HYDRA agents. Get out of there, man!”

“No, you don’t understand. There’s a kid here.”

“A kid?!” they all exclaimed.

Steve carefully laid his shield against the wall and tip-toed over to the bed. With his hands up, he knelt down next to her. She whimpered, curled her knees up against her chest and tried to back away.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Steve said, soothingly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She peeked out from above her knees. “Bad guy?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Steve shook his head. “No, good guy. I’m a good guy.” She scooted a few inches closer, and Steve could see small scars running down her thin arms. He clenched his teeth at the thought of someone hurting this little girl.

A crash at the end of the hallway drew his attention to the door.

“Steve, they’re heading your way!” Bucky grunted as he fought off another HYDRA soldier.

Steve looked back at the girl who had moved even closer. He held out his arms, and she carefully climbed into them. He stood up, grabbed his shield and got ready to leave.

“Wait!” she cried. “Teddy!” Steve turned around and saw a ratty teddy bear on the bed. He quickly grabbed it and gave it to her. Clutching it in her arms, the girl buried her head in Steve’s shoulder as he made his way down the hall.

“I’m coming out now with the kid,” he said to the team.

“You took the kid?”

“Man, you’ve got to be kidding me!”

“So much for taking all the stupid with me, huh punk?”

Before Steve could reply, three soldiers barreled in and blocked the path outside. They raised their guns and prepared to fire. Suddenly, all of the lights in the hallway began to flicker and hum. The soldiers looked around nervously, and Steve used this to his advantage. As he lifted his shield and got ready to strike, a jolt of electricity shot out from a light and hit one soldier square in the chest. He crumpled immediately as two other jolts struck his teammates.

“What the-?” Steve started.

“We leave now?”

Steve looked down at the little girl. She was still holding her teddy bear, but something was different. Her wavy brown hair was now frizzy and sticking up in various places. It almost looked like she had stuck her finger in an electrical…

“Did you do this?” he asked incredulously. She hugged her teddy tighter to her chest and nuzzled into Steve’s shoulder again.

“STEVE!” Nat shouted into his earpiece. “GET OUT NOW!”

Steve ran the rest of the way outside and headed to the Quinjet. Nat and Bucky had taken care of most of the HYDRA soldiers, and he blew past the remaining ones with his shield. He ran up the ramp to the Quinjet, and Sam quickly closed it once he was on board. The engines rumbled, and soon everyone was headed back to New York.

The little girl showed no signs of letting go, so Steve sat down and rearranged her so she was sitting in his lap.

“What the hell, Steve?” Sam asked from the cockpit.

“Language!” Steve chided. Nat and Bucky slowly sat down across from him so they wouldn’t scare the girl.

“What’s her name?” Nat asked.

“I don’t know,” Steve admitted.

“How did she get there?” Bucky asked. “What did they do to her?” His eyes found the scars on her arms, and he gripped the edge of his seat tighter.

“I don’t know. All I know is I couldn’t leave her.”

“Tony’s gonna love this,” Nat chuckled.

* * *

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Tony exclaimed. “No way!”

Sam, Nat, Steve, and Tony sat around the kitchen island as Nat poured over a computer, scanning the data she had collected for any information about the little girl.

When they had gotten back to the Tower, Steve and Nat had managed to convince the girl to take a bath. By the time they finished, it seemed like there was more water outside of the tub than in it, but at least she was clean. Nat had combed out the girl’s messy hair while Steve found a t-shirt and boxers for her to wear. They had decided to forgo the boxers when his shirt went all the way down to her toes. Clearly, they would need to go shopping later.

Currently, she hummed happily in Sam’s lap as she munched on some apples Bucky had cut up for her before going up to his room to tend to his injuries. She took a bite, “fed” her teddy, then took another bite. She spoke little bits of toddler gibberish as she continued eating.

“Aha!” Nat announced. “Got something!” She turned the screen so the others could see the profile she had found on the girl.

“Remington Jones,” Tony read aloud.

“Hi!” the girl replied. They all stared at her as she quickly shoved another apple in her mouth.

“Your name is Remington?” Sam asked.

“Mmm hmm,” she mumbled, her mouth full. Swallowing she asked, “Safe now?”

“Yeah, sweetheart, you’re safe,” Steve replied. “No one is going to hurt you anymore.”

Remington stared at him, then went back to feeding her teddy.

“She’s about four,” Nat continued, scanning the rest of the file. “Parents D-E-C-E-A-S-E-D,” she spelled out.

“Oh, good, an orphan,” Tony muttered.

“That’s enough, Tony,” Steve said sharply as Bucky walked into the kitchen. The second supersoldier had removed the long-sleeved tactical gear and changed into a t-shirt and sweats. Remington’s eyes followed the glint of his metal arm as he sat down next to Sam.

“Wow,” she breathed as she abandoned her apples and scooted into Bucky’s lap.

She carefully reached a small hand out and laid it on Bucky’s arm. He sat as still as a statue as everyone watched. Bucky was used to people being afraid of his arm, not enamored by it. Remington closed her eyes and furrowed her brows in concentration. The lights above the island flickered and small sparks shot out from her hand. Bucky could feel faint vibrations, but other than that, nothing.

“Did I hurt you?” Remington asked. Bucky shook his head. She turned and placed a hand on Sam’s forearm to test his. Just as before, the lights flickered, but Sam yelped at the small shock. 

“This is interesting,” Nat said, dryly. “Her file says she can manipulate electricity and lightning.”

“Ya think?!” Sam exclaimed, shaking out his hand. Bucky chuckled and Sam’s eyes narrowed. “Some of us can still feel things with our arms, Tin Man.”

“You know what, Bird Brain…” Bucky started.

“I’m sorry,” Remington interrupted, her voice trembling. Her eyes swam with tears and she hugged her teddy tightly to her chest. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Bucky soothed. He wrapped his arms gently around her and gave her a hug. “We can do your trick on me, but not the others. Okay?” He turned to Sam. “Uncle Sam’s not mad, right?” he asked almost menacingly.

Sam’s heart melted as he looked at Remington curled up in Bucky’s arms. “Nah, kiddo, I’m not mad.” She smiled shyly and went back to eating her apples.

“That explains why there weren’t any lights in her room,” Steve said, realization dawning on him. “And how the guards got taken down.” He quickly filled everyone in on what had happened in the hallway at the HYDRA facility.

“How is nobody else freaking out about this?” Tony asked. “Can you really imagine us keeping this kid?!”

Steve looked at Remington as he pondered Tony’s question. He saw himself taking her to school when she was old enough. He could also see himself letting her play hooky and wander around New York. They would pack lunches and eat in Central Park, and he would take her to see all of the animals in the zoo. Her eyes would widen as she walked through the Met, admiring the famous paintings and sculptures. By the end of the day, she would be so exhausted that he would carry her to bed with a huge grin on his face.

Bucky stared fondly at the little girl in his arms. He could see her crying from a nightmare late at night and coming into his room for comfort. Without hesitation, he would bring her into his bed to hold her as he chased the nightmares away. Then, the next morning, he would reset the breakers that she had overloaded with her powers while she was upset. She would try to apologize, but he would stop her immediately. He would cheer her up with chocolate chip pancakes and mountains of syrup and whipped cream.

Sam pictured movie nights becoming a regular thing after missions. He could see everyone curled up on the couches and chairs in the living room eating popcorn by the bag. They would introduce Remington to all of the classics, including Disney, of course. She would outgrow his lap as she got older and older, but she would still curl up into his side and bury her head in his shoulder if she got scared.

Nat smiled as she saw herself teach Remington self-defense moves. She would learn to control her electrical powers and use them only for good. Whenever a bully would bother her or her friends at school, she would easily take them down with Nat’s pre-approved moves. Then, when Nat came to pick her up from school, she would treat Remington to a huge ice cream sundae to celebrate taking down more bullies. They might even continue their afternoons with a little bit of shopping using Tony’s credit card.

Tony felt his resolve crumbling as he watched Remington feed her teddy. There was an empty room on the third floor with the most amazing view of the city that she would love. He could see her handing him his tools as he worked downstairs in his lab on a new suit. She would listen intently as he explained the mechanics of electricity and engineering. Her room would be filled with books and electrical parts as she devoured every bit of knowledge she could find. He could see her walking across the stage at her college graduation, waving wildly at him as he stood and clapped with pride. Just because she had a crappy beginning, didn’t mean she needed a crappy ending.

Yeah, they could all picture keeping her.

And it made them smile. 


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Bucky, and Nat take Remington clothes shopping while Tony and Sam set up her room.

It was official: Remington was staying. While Sam and Tony made sure the spare bedroom on the third floor had all of the furniture it needed, Steve, Bucky, and Nat took her to get more clothes. 

“What do we even need?” Steve asked as they walked down one of the aisles. The store was packed with shirts, pants, jackets, and more, and none of them really knew where to start. Remington sat happily in Bucky’s arms, still wearing Steve’s oversized t-shirt.

“Well, we better figure it out soon because people are staring,” Nat whispered. She glared right back at a nosy woman who gave Remington’s outfit the stink eye.

“Doesn’t Scott Lang have a kid?” Bucky asked as he shifted Remington in his arms. “Why don’t we ask him?”

“Bucky, that’s brilliant!” Steve exclaimed. He pulled out his phone and dialed Scott’s number. Thankfully, he picked up on the third ring.

“Hello?” Scott answered.

“Scott, it’s Steve. I need your help-”

“Captain America needs my help!” Scott yelped. “Absolutely! I can change into my suit and be there in-”

“Not that kind of help,” Steve interrupted.

“Oh,” Scott replied, a twinge of disappointment in his voice.

“We found this kid on a mission and decided to keep her-”

“A kid?! Kids are best, Cap!” Scott replied. “Just be careful because now they’re in diapers and soon they’ll be dating and learning how to drive, and…”

Scott kept rambling on, and Steve looked at Nat helplessly. She took the phone out of his grasp.

“Lang, Romanoff here,” she said, brusquely. “Listen, Remington has no clothes and we don’t know what to buy. Can you help?”

“Oh hey, Natasha,” Scott replied nervously. Flashbacks of their encounter in Germany flew through his mind and he decided to get down to business. “Clothes? Um, well, kids actually need quite a lot. You got a pen?”

Nat took out her own phone and opened a new note.

“Go ahead,” she replied.

“Okay, two questions. How old is she, and is she potty trained?” Scott asked.

“She’s about four, and she used the bathroom earlier today,” Nat replied.

“Good! That’ll save you on some stuff since she’s not super little,” Scott answered. “So, socks and underwear are a must. It probably wouldn’t hurt to buy a few packs of pull-ups for the first few nights either.” He paused and hummed thoughtfully. “Since it’s summer now, I would stick to the basics. Shirts, pants, pajamas, some dresses if she likes that stuff. Where is she living?”

“The Tower.”

“Stark’s got a pool in there, right? So definitely a few bathing suits. Oh! And shoes! Don’t forget the shoes. You can get a winter jacket and warmer clothes once the weather gets cooler, but that stuff should cover it for now.”

“Thanks, Lang. One more question...how many of each?”

“Well, that depends,” Scott replied. “I mean, I would definitely get three or four weeks worth of underwear and socks. Kids have accidents, ya know? And they can get pretty dirty. I mean, once Cassie found this HUGE mud puddle and…”

“Lang!” Nat interrupted.

“Oh, right!” Scott said, sheepishly. “Anyway, for the shirts and other stuff...what was her situation like before this?”

“Not good.” Nat stepped out of Remington’s earshot. “She was being held by HYDRA, so who knows what they did to her.”

“Oh, man,” Scott whistled. “Well, then, think of it like this: you guys are probably the first people to buy her new stuff. If it was me, I’d spoil her. But it’s really up to you.”

Nat paused and considered Scott’s advice. “Okay. We really appreciate your help,” Nat replied.

“No worries! Good luck!” he said.

Nat ended the call and handed the phone back to Steve.

“Well?” Bucky asked. “What do we need?”

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Nat replied, a smile growing on her face.

Instead of splitting up the list, they let Remington pick out what she wanted. Every time she smiled or pointed at something, Nat immediately found her size and put it in the cart. Steve and Bucky thought it was a little excessive, but one determined look from Nat shut them both up.

They quickly learned Remington loved purple, blue, and grey. Her underwear and socks were different shades of each color, and she even picked out a package from the boys’ aisle with monster trucks on them. She also wasn’t too picky about what designs were on her clothes. Bucky held her up to each rack of clothing, and Remington pulled off the shirts she wanted. The cart soon became filled with shirts with dinosaurs, princesses, ninjas, flowers, and more. She scrunched her nose at the dresses but let Nat put two grey ones in the cart.

Pajamas and pants were easy too. Steve saw no reason why a four-year old needed jeans, so he kept her at the legging and sweatpant sections. It also made figuring out her size a piece of cake since he could just pull the elastic around her tiny waist to see if it would fit.

Shoes sucked. Remington didn’t want to sit still long enough to try them on, and when she started to fuss, the lights began to flicker. Bucky managed to measure her foot size before the lights blew out and grabbed a bunch of different styles in her size.

By the time everything was said and done, they walked out of the store with six big bags of clothes and a bill that would make Tony Stark wince. But when they watched Remington bounce out of the store wearing her new black leggings, a purple tutu, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt, they knew it had been worth it.

She held Nat’s hand as Steve and Bucky carried the bags.

“You know, you could help us!” Bucky complained.

“I could,” Nat sang, “but then we wouldn’t have arms for bags of TOYS!” She stopped in front of a local toy store and Remington’s eyes grew wide.

Steve and Bucky almost protested again, but their hearts suddenly melted as Remington held her teddy up to the window display.

“Look, Teddy!” she whispered. “Toys!” She turned and walked over to Bucky and Steve, wrapping a little arm around each of their legs.

“We go get toys Bu-ee? Stee?” she asked. “Please?” She looked up at them with hopeful brown eyes.

“Yes!” the two supersoldiers replied almost immediately.

“Yay!” Remington shouted. “Toys Nat!” She grabbed Nat’s hand and pulled her inside the store.

“Oh, we are so screwed when she gets older,” Bucky groaned.

“Older? Pal, I think we’re screwed now,” Steve replied, following the two girls inside.

While Remington had picked out her clothes, she let Teddy pick out the toys. She held it up to each shelf and whispered in its ear. She would either nod in satisfaction and pull the toy off the shelf, or shake her head and move on. Teddy picked out a tea set, remote-controlled cars, coloring books, a food play set, and more. It really had a ball in the LEGO aisle, and Nat grabbed at least twelve different sets. Teddy was also apparently as voracious reader, because it insisted on picking out a variety of books from the back of the store.

When they all got back to the Tower, everyone was exhausted. Somehow, Nat had managed to avoid carrying any of the fifteen bags total, and Steve and Bucky were thoroughly shopped out. They dumped the bags in the kitchen and pulled out a pair of pajamas for Remington to wear.

Bucky carried her up to the third floor with Steve and Nat following closely behind. They could hear Tony and Sam putting the finishing touches on the room as they walked inside.

“Just in time!” Tony announced, clapping his hands together. He walked over to Remington who stared at the room in awe. “What do you think, kiddo?”

Remington kicked in Bucky’s arms until he put her down so she could observe her new surroundings. The room was painted a light blue and accented with a grey rug. A simple twin bed on a dark wooden frame sat against the wall with guard rails on either side. Steve had texted Tony her color preference, and he bought a dark purple comforter with grey sheets. Remington ran her hands over the soft fabric and tucked Teddy underneath the covers as she continued to explore.

She walked over and opened the empty toy chest and adjacent closet. There was also a tall bookcase because Tony was convinced she was going to be a big reader.

“We put my toys and books here?” she asked.

“We’ll put them all away tomorrow,” Steve promised.

She nodded and walked back over towards the bed. A small lap glowed on top of the nightstand next to her bed, and Remington held her hand up to it. Small sparks flowed between her hand and the lamp as the air around her hummed. She nodded and smiled in satisfaction. Walking over to the wall of windows, she looked out over the city.

“Look! Lights!” she cried, smushing her face against the glass.

“You can mess with the lights in here, but leave those alone, okay?” Sam asked.

“I try,” Remington promised as she turned around. She waddled over to the adjoining bathroom, but barely paid any notice to it. Instead, she walked over to each Avenger and gave their legs a hug and looked up at them.

“Thank you Stee. Thank you Bu-ee. Thank you Nat. Thank you Sam. Thank you Tony.”

Everyone choked back tears of adoration as she made her way back to the bed and snuggled under the covers with Teddy. Her eyes fluttered shut, her breathing slowed, and soon, she was fast asleep.

No one moved. In fact, they probably would have watched Remington all night if they hadn’t been so tired themselves. Tony turned off the main lights and carefully closed the door, leaving it open a crack.

“Wait!” Steve whispered. “She forgot to brush her teeth!”

“Let it go, Cap,” Sam insisted. “She’ll survive one night.”

“I installed a few cameras and baby monitors,” Tony informed the rest of them. “We’ll be able to hear if anything goes wrong.”

“Sounds good,” Sam replied, yawning. “You guys ready for this?”

Truthfully, they probably weren’t. With a life as crazy and demanding as an Avenger’s, parenthood wasn’t really something they were expecting right now. But Remington deserved something much better than her life at HYDRA, and these guys were determined to give it to her.

They were going to be just fine.


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to go to kindergarten in three months, Remington needs to learn to control her powers. She gets a little help from a certain lightning-friendly Avenger.

“This is a ridiculous idea,” Tony warned as he walked through the field. The sun was high and the grass crackled against his pressed suit pants. Bucky, Wanda and Remington were a few yards ahead, and the little girl was bouncing around some tall flowers as she walked.

“You have any other suggestions?” Steve replied as he stepped aside to avoid a groundhog hole. “She’s supposed to start kindergarten in three months. What if what happened yesterday happens in school? She needs to learn control.”

_It had been a year since Remington had come to live in the Tower. It was clear that after a little bit of TLC, she was an incredibly intelligent child. Her vocabulary improved immensely as she read every book she could get her hands on. She was clever, and often tried to manipulate the Avengers to get what she wanted. Well, she really didn’t have to try that hard with Steve, Bucky, and even Tony since they were already wrapped around her finger._

_Remington had a meltdown the day before when Steve told her she couldn’t eat dessert without eating her vegetables first. She threw a temper tantrum, but it was so powerful, the lights began to surge and the breakers crackled from the overload of electricity. This kind of thing had happened before, but this was by far the most powerful incident. Remington got scared when the light above the kitchen island exploded, but she was so overwhelmed that she couldn’t stop the small jolts of electricity from escaping her fingertips._

_“Remington, you need to calm down,” Bucky warned, trying to comfort her. She looked at him with frightened eyes, but her powers showed no signs of letting up._

_“Remington, look into my eyes,” Wanda commanded. Red tendrils floated out of her palms as she spoke soothingly to the scared little girl. “Take a deep breath, my dear.”_

_Remington became transfixed by the right wisps and the lightning dissipated from her hands. Her breathing returned to normal, and the static left the charged air._

_“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her lip trembling. “I didn’t mean to.”_

_Bucky gathered her up in his arms and hugged her close. “We need to figure this out,” he said to Steve, who nodded in agreement._

“Just let the kid eat ice cream without the vegetables,” Tony whined as his pants got caught on a burr. “What’s the big deal? So she grows up a little spoiled. It happened to me, and I turned out alright.”

Steve just stared at him. “Okay, fine,” Tony conceded. “But why does it have to be the walking L’Oreal commercial? Why can’t Wanda just do it?”

“Do you know anyone else who can control lightning?” Steve asked. “Wanda’s great for calming down, but we need someone who understands some of Remington’s powers.”

Tony grumbled a bit under his breath, but he knew Steve was right. The two men caught up with the rest of the group a few minutes later and waited in the center of the field.

“We’ve been waiting here forever!” Remington whined as she swung from Bucky’s metal arm. “Can we go home?”

“Not yet,” Bucky replied. “Uncle Thor’s coming.”

The words had barely left Bucky’s mouth when the sunny day suddenly became gray and overcast. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and a few drops of rain spilled from the sky. A blinding flash of lightning cracked overhead and the ground shook as a large man flew down from the clouds.

“Woah,” Remington whispered, hiding behind Bucky.

“Seriously, Thor, you had to make it rain?” Tony complained, running his hands through damp hair.

“I forgot how fragile you humans are,” Thor remarked, smirking at Tony. He placed Mjolnir on the ground and walked over.

Before Tony could reply, Steve cut in. “Thanks for doing this, Thor,” he said.

“It is my pleasure!” Thor beamed, clapping his hands together. “Now, where is the child?”

Remington hid further behind Bucky as Thor knelt down to greet her. “Hello, my dear,” he said gently. “What is your name?”

“Remington,” she replied shyly.

Thor gave her a large smile. “Lady Remington, I hear you can control lightning and electricity! Can you show me?”

Remington shook her head. “I do bad things with my powers,” she admitted somberly.

“Remington,” Wanda said, “you can’t hurt anyone out here. Show Uncle Thor what you can do.”

Remington thought for a few moments and finally decided to step out from behind Bucky’s legs. She walked over to Thor and held out her hands to him. His monstrous hands carefully grasped hers, and she closed her eyes. Her nose scrunched up as she gathered up power and shocked his palms.

“Interesting,” he mused. He turned to face Steve. “Friend, you’re not going to like what I do next, but it will help her, I promise. Be ready, Lady Wanda.”

Before Steve could protest, Thor puffed out his chest and began to shout. “YOU CALL THAT POWERFUL?!” he roared above Remington. She cowered below him and covered her ears. “I’LL SHOW YOU POWERFUL, CHILD!” He raised his hand to the sky and lightning shot down between them.

“Thor, are you out of your damn mind?!” Steve yelled.

Remington screamed and her own powers mixed with Thor’s lightning. Wanda prepared her calming red wisps, just in case. She could read Thor’s intentions, and she had a feeling his crazy idea might actually work.

“DO NOT LET THE FEAR CONTROL YOU, LADY REMINGTON!” Thor continued to yell. “EMBRACE IT! CONTROL IT!”

Remington closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists. She forced them down to her sides and she furrowed her brow. The lightning continued to escape from her closed hands, and she felt herself losing control.

“I can’t!” she cried out. “I can’t!”

“Wanda!” Thor commanded. Wanda quickly intervened and let the red wisps envelop Remington. Thor’s thunder and lightning subsided, and Remington’s own powers died out.

“Are you crazy?!” Bucky yelled. “What were you thinking?” He tried to pick up Remington, but Thor blocked his way.

“Move,” Bucky growled. The plates in his metal arm whirred as he clenched his hand into a fist.

“Do you not see what happens?” Thor asked. “She lets her fear control her power. She needs to learn to calm herself down.” He turned around and carefully knelt in front of a trembling Remington. “I am sorry for frightening you, Lady Remington,” he said kindly. “But I promise it has a noble purpose.”

Remington looked Thor directly in the eye. “You didn’t have to be so mean,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t like shouting.”

Thor smirked. “Being scared is unfortunately the best way to learn to control your fear,” he replied. “That is your desire, is it not?”

Remington considered his words for a few moments. She really did want to learn so she could go to school and meet new friends. “Fine,” she said, stubbornly. “But I want ice cream after.”

“Done!” Tony announced. “You can even have two bowls!”

“Tony!” Steve and Bucky shouted.

But Remington was satisfied with Tony’s answer and jumped up and down. “Scare me again, Uncle Thor!” she demanded gleefully. “I want to learn!”

Thor stood back up. “Let us go again!”

And they did. They practiced and practiced until the sun hung low in the sky. Thor came back once a week to help Remington practice her skills. He wasn’t so much focused on making her powers stronger as much as he wanted her to control what she already had. Of course, Remington got her bowls of ice cream after each practice. It took time, but she was getting better and better each day at controlling her fear, and ultimately, her powers.

The three months flew by, and soon, it was time for Remington’s first day of school. Tony managed to pull some strings and get her into one of the best kindergartens in the city. Remington insisted on taking the bus with all of the other kids. It was quite the sight…

Remington stood confidently in her grey leggings, sparkly blue tutu, and ninja t-shirt. Steve took pictures of her as she waited for the bus. She gripped the straps of her monster truck-themed backpack as the yellow school bus pulled into the parking lot of the Avengers Tower. The kids squished their noses against the glass to get a glimpse of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Remington gulped and lost her gusto as the bus door opened. She turned around uncertainly, looking to her aunts and uncles for comfort.

“You’re going to be fine,” Wanda reassured her, stroking her hair.

“What if I don’t like it?” Remington asked.

“Give it a chance, kid,” Sam replied. “I bet you’ll make all sorts of friends.”

“Promise, Uncle Sam?”

“I promise.”

“Just remember,” Steve added, “your power…”

“Needs to stay a secret,” Remington finished. “I know.”

“You have done well in your lessons,” Thor complimented. “I have the utmost confidence in you, Lady Remington.” She beamed at his compliment and seemed to feel a bit better about leaving.

“Okay, kiddo, time to go,” Bucky said, crouching down to give her a hug. She went down the line and hugged everyone else before finally boarding the bus. She gave a small wave as the door closed. They all watched the bus drive off into the distance.

“I hope this was a good idea,” Nat said. “You know, I’ve heard some kids wait until they’re six to go to school. Maybe we should have waited.”

“Of course this isn’t a good idea!” Tony exclaimed. “Everything gets worse once they get to school. First it’s kindergarten, then it’s college.”

“Don’t rush it, Tony,” Steve replied. “Let’s just be proud of her today.”

“She’ll be fine,” Bucky added. “I know it.”

They stood in silence for a few moments.

“Anyone want to follow the bus and make sure it gets to school?” Tony asked.

“Yup!” Bucky quickly replied.

“I’m in!” Nat said. “We can catch up to it down by 5th Avenue.”

“I’ll drive one car,” Sam offered.

“I’m coming with you, Sam,” Steve said.

“I shall join Tony,” Thor commented.

Wanda just rolled her eyes but followed Thor in Tony’s car. “You guys are overreacting,” she said, exasperatedly.

Tony spun around and pointed at Wanda. “Hey, that’s our kid we’re talking about. Better safe than sorry, wouldn’t you agree?”

Wanda smiled. She couldn’t argue with that. 


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers may be a busy group of people, but they always make time for one special night each month: movie night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big Hero 6 spoilers!!

Life is busy for an Avenger. There was hardly a day when all of them were in the same place at the same time, and that made raising a kid difficult sometimes. Steve was technically Remington’s legal guardian (at least on all the phony paperwork Tony got for her), but everyone played a role in her upbringing. Whether it was getting Remington ready for school, helping her with her homework, or putting her to bed, the Avengers made sure they were there for her.

There was one night when everyone made sure they had no plans. Missions got rescheduled, dates got cancelled, and meetings were pushed to the side.

Movie night.

No matter where they were across the globe, the Avengers made it back in time for their monthly group movie night. Sure, Remington watched movies all the time with her various aunts and uncles, but she really loved it when everyone got together and piled the living room with fuzzy blankets and bowls of popcorn.

Everyone rotated what movie they watched, and tonight, it was Tony’s turn to pick.

“Hurry up!” Remington exclaimed. “I wanna watch the movie!” She scrunched her nose and the lights above flickered. Remington got the idea from when Nat had taken her to see  _ Lion King _ on Broadway last year. She loved how the lights flickered at the end of intermission to signal everyone to get in their seats and had started using it when she got impatient.

“Remington,” Sam warned. “We don’t need a fuse busting right before the movie starts.”

“But everyone is so slow!” the 8 year-old pouted. “I’ve been waiting here for years.” She screeched as red wisps wrapped around her waist and hoisted her in the air. “Aunt Wanda!” she giggled.

Wanda slowly turned her until she was upside down and floated her over to the big pile of blankets in the middle of the couch. The wisps disappeared, and Remington landed with a muffled thud.

“You can set up the blankets,” Wanda said. “By the time you are finished, we will be ready.”

Remington smiled and began pulling the blankets off the couch. She was definitely a precocious little girl, but it was clear that everyone adored her. She stuck the tip of her tongue out in firm concentration as she made sure the blankets were spaced evenly across the room.

“Popcorn’s almost done!” Steve called from the kitchen. Bucky walked in the common room balancing three salad serving bowls of popcorn while the other super soldier finished popping the last two bags. Nat and Tony brought the last of the drinks, and everyone was finally ready.

“What are we watching, Uncle Tony?” Remington asked as she crawled to her usual spot between Bucky and Sam.

Bucky’s arm could somehow handle the output of Remington’s electricity, so he was always there to absorb the shocks whenever a movie scared her. Sam was, in Remington’s words “an awesome cuddler”, so she liked to sandwich herself between the two men. Whenever she got too scared, she would move towards Bucky and then back to Sam when she calmed down.

“You’re in for a treat, my dear Remington,” Tony said, dramatically, holding his hands behind his back. “I present to you  _ Big Hero 6 _ !” He whipped out the DVD and smiled widely.

“But I thought we were going to watch  _ Moana _ ,” Remington replied, her face falling.

“Well that’s not the reaction I was expecting,” Tony muttered. He walked over and knelt down in front of Remington. “Sweetheart, the last movie we saw was a singing movie. And the one before that. And the one before that.” He shuddered involuntarily. It had taken him weeks to get “Let it Go” out of his head, and he wanted to wait at least another month before subjecting himself to more singing Disney movies. “This movie has robots! And action! You’ll love it, I promise.”

“But-” Remington started. A squeeze from Bucky caused her to look up. He raised his eyebrows and stared down at her. Remington held his intense gaze with one of her own, almost as if she was having a silent conversation with him. Bucky and Remington had a unique relationship. He could relate to her on levels the others couldn’t because of his own experiences with HYDRA, and this seemed to strengthen their bond.

“Okay,” she finally sighed. “We can try this movie.” Sam held his arms out and she curled up in his lap. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, and she sighed contentedly.

Steve dimmed the lights as Tony popped the DVD into the TV and started the movie.

Any of Remington’s doubts about the movie’s quality disappeared as it moved through the storyline. She became enraged at Tadashi’s death so early in the movie and nearly caused a Tower-wide blackout. Nat made a mental note to never show her  _ Up  _ as Sam soothed her.

After getting over the mental scars of one of the main character’s deaths, Remington fell in love with Baymax. She giggled at his robotic voice and insistence on giving Hiro a hug.

“He’s like you, Uncle Steve,” Remington declared as Baymax squished Hiro to his white, fluffy chest.

“I am not a fat marshmallow!” Steve retorted, making Remington laugh even more.

“No but you give me nice hugs,” she replied, scooting out of Sam’s lap. She clumsily stepped over Nat and Wanda and took out a bowl of popcorn to give Steve a big hug. He held her to his chest and stroked her hair as she settled in her new seat. Remington may have had her usual spot with Sam and Bucky, but she was never one to sit still for too long.

Everyone was in stitches when Baymax began losing battery power.

“Hairy baby,” the robot cooed as it petted a fat cat. “Haiiirrry baby!”

“Can we get a cat?” Remington asked.

“No!” everyone replied.

“Aww man,” she mumbled. Much to everyone’s relief, she dropped the subject.

By the time the battle scene rolled around, Remington was back on the couch between Sam and Bucky. She was sitting on the edge, completely enthralled. Tony looked back and grinned smugly. He knew she was going to like this movie.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room at the very end of the movie.

“I am satisfied with my care,” Hiro sniffs. Baymax gives him one last nod and propels him to safety, unable to save himself.

“No! It’s not fair!” Remington cried. Tears streamed down her face as she gripped Bucky’s t-shirt. “Don’t leave him! Baymax!”

Thankfully, the movie had a happy ending, but that didn’t seem to quell Remington’s sadness. Even after Tony turned on the lights, she sat in Bucky’s lap, her tears still staining his shirt. Bucky shrugged his shoulders at the rest of the room.

“What wrong, Remington?” Sam asked, rubbing her leg. Remington just shook her head and buried her face deeper in Bucky’s chest.

“Hey, talk to us,” Steve said, soothingly. He walked over and sat down in front of her.

“It’s so sad,” she finally whispers.

“But it turned out okay,” Steve reminded her. “Hiro was able to fix him in the end.” He stood up and held out his arms. Remington stood up between Bucky’s legs and let Steve scoop her up in his embrace. “What’s going on, kiddo?” he asked.

“He left Baymax,” she replied, sadly. “It’s not nice being left behind.”

They never really talked about Remington’s past, but it was bound to come up sooner or later. According to her file, her parents had been killed by HYDRA when they had uncovered her powers, but the Avengers could never be sure what she remembered and what she didn’t.

“Hey, listen to me,” Steve said, setting her down on the ground. He lifted her chin so she was looking at him. “Your mom and dad tried really hard not to leave you, but the bad people who took you were too powerful. They loved you so much, kiddo. I promise.” Truthfully, he had no idea if what he was saying was true. But, the look on her face told him he said exactly the right thing.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yes,” Wanda chimed in. “Very much.” Nat hummed in agreement.

“And we are never going to leave you,” Tony added.

“Sorry, kiddo. You’re stuck with us,” Sam joked.

“Love you, Remington,” Bucky said, rubbing her back.

Remington stood stoically and considered all of their words.

“I love you all too,” she finally said. She looked down at the floor and back up again, with a shy smile on her face. “May we do a hug pile?”

Steve smiled and looked over her head at Bucky. His best friend nodded and crept up behind Remington. He lifted her in the air and waved her around as she squealed in delight. Steve wrapped his arms around both of them as they all fell to the floor. With whoops and cheers, the others joined in the pile until they all laid in a laughing heap. They wouldn’t wanted to have spent their movie night any other way. 


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers celebrate Remington’s 11th birthday at Skyzone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this part took so long to get to you! I am working diligently on the other parts now, so hopefully, you’ll get at least one or two a week from this point on. Tags are open, and as always, thanks for reading!

“This is what hell looks like,” Tony shuddered as he looked around the room.

“Stop being so dramatic, Stark!” Sam chided. “It’s just a birthday party!”

Remington decided she wanted to celebrate her 11th birthday at Skyzone, a trampoline palace. Huge trampolines covered the floors and even the walls. A deep foam pit sat in the back of the room, and another one had a rock climbing wall inside of it. One of the Skyzone employees was facilitating a dodgeball game, and others milled about to make sure the kids were all behaving. Kids shrieked left and right, and the ceiling lights hummed as they shined brightly on the party.

“Nope, still hell,” Tony repeated. His grim expression was replaced with a smile as Remington bounded towards him and Sam.

“Uncle Tony!” she exclaimed. “Will you come bounce with me?”

Before Tony could respond, Sam interjected for him. “Of course he can!” He shoved Tony towards the trampoline area as Remington ran ahead.

“I hate you,” Tony muttered as he stepped tentatively on the trampoline. Next to him, Remington was doing front flips. Tony bounced a few times, but when he tried to flip, he landed directly on his butt.

“That’s not how you do it!” shouted Nat. Tony turned around to find Nat across three trampolines away from him. She demonstrated two front flips, and then she bounced off one of the wall trampolines, landing gracefully on her feet.

“Show me how to do that, Aunt Nat!” Remington shouted. She hopped from one trampoline to the next until she reached Nat. While they were busy practicing their off-the-wall flips, Tony snuck out and headed to the party room.

Steve and Bucky were almost finished decorating by the time Tony got upstairs. They had hung purple and silver streamers along the edge of the walls, and large balloons were tied to each table. Remington’s chair had four shiny blue balloons tied to it, and a purple banner reading “Birthday Girl” hung across the back. The tablecloths alternated between purple and silver, and blue plates were placed at each seat. It was definitely a Remington-approved setup.

“How’s it going?” he asked the two super soldiers.

“Good!” Bucky replied. “We’re just organizing the donations now.”

Instead of birthday presents, Remington had asked all of her friends to bring something to donate to the animal shelter near the Avengers Tower. Bucky had it all boxed and organized by cat and dog items.

“She’s got such a big heart,” Steve commented as he packed up the last box. “How are things going downstairs?”

“So many kids,” Tony groaned. “Too much bouncing.” He flopped on one of the couches in the room and sighed.

“Hey,” Bucky said, “be thankful she finally outgrew the Disney-themed parties.”

“I liked the Disney parties,” Steve mumbled under his breath.

“But did you really like all the glitter that came with it, punk?” Bucky snorted. “You hated cleaning up after those parties!”

Steve threw a cat toy at Bucky’s head in response. Before the any more toys could be sacrificed, Wanda came inside the room.

“The pizza is ready,” she announced. “Shall I gather the kids up here?”

“We’re ready for ‘em,” Bucky confirmed.

As Wanda left to gather the kids, two Skyzone employees set up pizza boxes and pitchers of soda at each table. They could hear a stampede of feet as the kids bolted up the stairs following the scent of food. The loudness from downstairs seemed to follow them to the party room, and Tony felt a headache coming on. But, one look at Remington’s face, and he pushed all his negative feelings about the party aside.

She was absolutely glowing. A huge smile took up her entire face, and her cheeks were tinged pink from all the jumping. Her hair stuck out from all sides, and she wasn’t even trying to keep it neat anymore. She chatted easily with her friends as they all sat down for food. She had grown so much over the last few years, and all of the Avengers were pleased to see her making friends.

“Okay everyone!” Wanda shouted. “I need you to listen to me if you would like some pizza!” Immediately, the talking halted, and 40 pairs of eyes stared hungrily at her. “There is enough pizza for everyone to have three slices,” she instructed. “If you need help pouring soda or water, please ask so nothing spills. Okay?”

“OKAY!” the kids shouted in unison. The room exploded with noise again as kids shuffled to take slices of pizza from the boxes. Sam and Nat went around collecting the empty boxes while Steve and Bucky supervised the soda pouring. Tony kept the parents in the back of the room entertained, and soon, everyone was happily munching on their food.

“You having fun?” Bucky asked, kneeling next to Remington.

“Mm, hmm,” she nodded, her mouth full of pizza. She swallowed and looked at Bucky expectantly. “Can we have cake soon?”

“Cake?!” he asked. “You need to eat your pizza first!” She giggled as Bucky kissed her cheek and walked back to Wanda. They both quietly snuck out of the room to get the cake and put the candles on it.

“Can you believe she’s 11?” Nat asked wistfully. Steve and Sam both shook their heads.

“We’re getting old,” Steve commented.

“You’re already old,” Sam quipped. “Speak for yourself.”

Before Steve could make a comeback, his phone vibrated with a text.

 

 ** _Bucky:_** _Cake’s done. Ready for it?_

 

Steve glanced around the room and noticed that the kids had pretty much devoured every slice of pizza in sight. Tony had started replacing their pizza plates with smaller cake plates, and the kids buzzed with excitement about their dessert.

 

_**Steve:** Yep. Bring it up._

 

Steve walked over to the light switch as Sam let Bucky and Wanda back in. As soon as the lights were dimmed, the kids turned to the faint glow of birthday candles. They all sang a hearty rendition of “Happy Birthday” while Remington sat bashfully in her chair. Wanda placed the cake in front of Remington, and Steve made sure to snap a few pictures.

Remington’s ice cream cake had purple piping around the outside with blue sprinkles on top. The words “Happy Birthday Remington” were written in cursive with silver icing. She smiled as she silently counted 11 striped birthday candles on top of the cake.

“Make a wish!” Sam exclaimed.

Remington closed her eyes and scrunched up her nose as she thought long and hard about her wish. Then, she took a deep breath and managed to blow out all of her candles at once. The room erupted in cheers as the cake was whisked away to be cut. Remington got the first (and biggest) slice of cake, and she practically inhaled it.

Before the Avengers knew it, they were saying goodbye to Remington’s friends and their parents as the party ended. Tony and Remington went downstairs to the trampoline area to collect any lost belongings while the rest of the adults cleaned up the party room.

“I found a sweatshirt!” Tony called to Remington. She ran over and examined the red material carefully.

“It’s Addie’s,” she confirmed. “I’ll give it to her at school on Monday.”

Tony nodded as they continued to walk around.

“Uncle Tony?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for the party,” Remington said. “I know loud noises aren’t your favorite.”

Tony paused and looked at Remington. “Did you have fun? Are you happy?” She nodded vigorously. “Then I’m happy, kiddo.” He wrapped her up in a huge hug, and she sighed happily in his arms.

“I love you,” she mumbled into his chest.

“I love you too. Happy birthday Remington.”


	6. Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat gets called to Remington’s school to deal with a fight. The principal tries to blame it on Remington, but he was not prepared for the wrath of Natasha Romanoff.

Nat’s heeled boots clicked with each step she took on the tile floor of Remington’s school. She turned sharply into the main office and stomped into the principal’s office. Mr. O’Neil sat behind his desk as he stared disapprovingly at Remington. Nat silently groaned when she saw the other boy sitting in the room with his parents.

Chase Collins. The biggest pest to walk the earth as far as Nat was concerned. Ever since Remington had gotten her hair cut short, Chase seemed to make it his life’s mission to tease Remington mercilessly. _Lesbo. Dyke. Butch._ Apparently, 13 year-olds had quite the colorful vocabulary nowadays. Nat had listened to Remington recount story after story of Chase’s teasing. Steve and Tony had made multiple calls to Remington’s teacher to try and resolve the issue, but apparently, nothing had been done.

Now, Chase sat in one of Mr. O’Neil’s plush chairs with a huge ice pack against his nose. White gauze was soaked red, and Nat could see the outlines of a faint bruise beginning to form over his right eye. There were no signs of electrical shock trauma, though, so Remington must have kept her powers under control.

“Ms. Romanoff,” the principal sneered, “how nice of you to finally join us.”

“I was a bit…tied up,” the assassin replied smoothly. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Your kid hit our son!” Chase’s mom shrilled.

“Remington, is that true?” Nat asked.

“He wouldn’t stop calling me names!” Remington exclaimed. “And he wouldn’t let me get to my locker!”

“Oh I see,” Nat replied, looking at Mr. O’Neil. “You wanted to see if I want to file a harassment lawsuit, correct?”

The room went dead silent at her words.

“Harass…excuse me?” Mr. O’Neil spluttered. “On what grounds?”

Nat’s eyes narrowed, and her tone took on an absolutely venomous quality. She walked over to his desk and leaned her palms against the smooth wood so she towered over him. “Chase has been harassing Remington for months. Calling her names that border on sexual discrimination. We’ve contacted the school MULTIPLE times to try and get this resolved, and clearly, nothing has been done, which is completely unacceptable. Sound about right?”

“Well, I mean…we’ve, uh, spoken to Chase about the names, but…”

“Did he receive any consequences?”

“Well, no, but…”

“But nothing. By not issuing any consequences, you basically told Chase that it was okay to continue to call Remington a lesbian, a dyke, whatever else he felt like calling her! You failed your duty to protect my niece, so she had no choice but to retaliate on her own. It was self-defense.”

Nat turned to face Chase and his parents. Chase hung his head shamefully, and his mother looked mortified as she realized what her son had been doing the last few months. Nat walked over and kneeled right in front of Chase.

“If you ever talk to Remington again, I will personally walk down to the police station and file a harassment report. Are we clear?”

Chase’s eyes widened in fear, and he nodded mutely.

“We can assure you it won’t happen again,” Chase’s dad said. “We will be dealing with this.”

Nat turned back to the principal. “And I will be filing a complaint with the school board for your gross error of judgement in this issue.”

Mr. O’Neil looked like he wanted to throw up.

“Let’s go, Remington,” Nat commanded.

Remington quickly got up and followed Nat out of the school. She could almost feel the anger seething off of her aunt as they walked silently down the street. She was terrified to say anything, so she kept her head down. Remington didn’t even noticed they had walked into a shop until she felt the temperature drop about 10 degrees. When she looked up, she saw cases of ice cream containers and whimsical displays. They were in her favorite ice cream shop.

“What do you want to order?” Nat asked. She finally looked at Remington and sighed. Her niece looked absolutely terrified. She could practically hear her heartbeat going a thousands miles an hour.

“I’m sorry,” was her only response. “I’m so sorry.” Her chin wobbled, and her eyes filled with tears.

Nat pulled her in for a hug. “Shhh, it’s okay,” she soothed as she rubbed Remington’s back. “I’m not mad at you, I promise.”

“I just wanted him to stop,” Remington sniffed. “He wouldn’t stop.”

“Well based on his injuries, I bet he’ll think twice before messing with anyone again,” Nat chuckled. She paused and pulled out of the embrace. “Listen, Remington, I understand why you hit him, but you can’t go around hitting people like that. I will defend you until the day I die, but I won’t if the attack was unprovoked. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Aunt Nat,” Remington nodded. “I promise I won’t hit people.”

Nat stroked her hair and placed a kiss on top of her forehead. “Good. And Remington? It’s okay if you like girls. Those names Chase called you…your aunt and uncles and I don’t feel the same way about that stuff. Okay?”

Remington blushed and nodded shyly. It wasn’t a conversation they really needed to get into now, but Nat’s words let her know that if she ever needed to talk, her family would be there.

“Thanks Aunt Nat.”

Nat smiled and spun Remington around to face the menu board.

“Now, let’s get some ice cream!”


	7. Part 7

“Th-th-this is such a stu-stupid idea,” Sam shivered as he shoved his hands under his armpits. A few snowflakes fell gently from the night sky as the Avengers hid behind large bushes in Rockefeller Center. 

“Plus it’s an invasion of privacy,” Steve agreed. Even though his body temperature was regulated thanks to the super solider serum, he still tugged his hat over his ears. 

“Go home then,” Tony replied, adjusting the zoom on his binoculars. 

“And leave you here to cause trouble?” Bucky smirked. “Yeah, right, Stark.”

“Quick! They’re coming this way!” Nat hissed. Everyone ducked down low as Remington and her date walked out of the LEGO store, two bags in hand.

At 16 years old, Remington was still a big kid at heart. So, her aunts and uncles weren’t surprised to see that the LEGO store was a stop on her first date. 

The date was a complete surprise though. She had announced the day before that she was going on a date, much to her uncles’ dismay. 

 

_ “You’re too young to date,” Tony insisted.  _

_ “Plus it’s a school night,” Steve tried to argue. Sam and Bucky nodded their heads in agreement.  _

_ “What’s his name?” Nat asked. When Remington didn’t respond, Nat quirked an eyebrow. “Her name?” _

_ Remington bit her lip shyly and looked at the ground, clearly enamored by this mystery person. “Um, her name is Alexa.”  _

_ The questions from her uncles came in rapid fire. _

_ “Where did you meet?”  _

_ “How old is she?”  _

_ “Is she nice?” _

_ “Does she go to your school?” _

_ Wanda shushed them all and wrapped Remington up in a big hug. “I think it’s wonderful!” she cooed. “We must meet her before you leave, yes?” _

_ Remington blushed and nodded. “Just please don’t embarrass me!” she begged. _

_ “Us?” Tony replied, pretending to look shocked. “Never!” _

 

Alexa was a sweet girl with short, wavy hair and warm, brown eyes. She was completely unintimidated by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and even Tony had to admit that she seemed like a good fit for Remington. She was polite, easy going, and even a little bit sassy. It was easy to see why Remington was crushing on her.

Tony, overprotective as always, determined to follow the girls (at a reasonable distance) on their first date. He wanted to make sure no one gave them a hard time or ruined their night. Naturally, everyone else followed him out of the Tower to make sure he didn’t inadvertently cause trouble instead. 

“I think they’re heading to the ice skating rink,” Bucky observed as the girls walked down the stairs in the middle of the square. 

“Huh, not a bad first date,” Steve admitted.

Trying to be an inconspicuous as possible, the group walked to the overlook where they could see the entire ice skating rink. By the time they got in position, Remington and Alexa had already purchased skates and were making their way onto the ice. 

“Are they holding hands yet?” Wanda asked.

“I don’t think so,” Tony replied, taking out his binoculars again. “But I can barely see with these things. Maybe if I sent a drone down…”

“NO!” everyone else protested.

“We’re already bad enough,” Steve complained. But he made no move to leave the square and head back to the Tower. He loved Remington and wanted to make sure she was safe and happy. He wasn’t thrilled about the idea of her growing up, but he couldn’t deny the look of adoration when Alexa came to pick her up that evening.

Everyone watched as Remington and Alexa skated around the rink. Well, Alexa skated, and Remington did her best to stay on her feet. She had gotten clumsier as she got older, and ice skating was definitely not her forte. She clung to the wall for dear life as Alexa skated just in front of her, saying words of encouragement. When Remington slipped and fell, Alexa sat on the ice with her as they laughed and laughed. 

“They’re adorable,” Sam said, grinning. “She picked a good one-”

“Look!” Bucky exclaimed. He pointed eagerly to the ice, and everyone turned their attention back to the girls.

Alexa and Remington had finally gotten over their laughing fit and were trying to stand back up. Alexa made it first, and she held out her hand to Remington. She looked at Alexa shyly and tentatively held out her own hand.

“Hold her hand, hold her hand,” Sam whispered, completely forgetting how cold it was. Everyone inched closer to the edge of the wall to get a better look.

Alexa firmly grasped Remington’s hand and helped her up. But instead of letting go, she interlaced her fingers with Remington’s and continued to skate. Remington’s grin took over her entire face, and the lights at the skating rink blinked happily before shining a little brighter.

“YES!” the Avengers cheered. An old lady at the top of the square stared at them quizzically.

“Our niece is on her first date,” Bucky explained sheepishly. 

That explanation did the trick because her questioning gaze softened as she smiled knowingly. “That’s very nice, dear,” she replied before walking away. 

Suddenly, the light above their heads flickered. They could hear the sharp buzz from inside the light grow louder and louder.

“Uh oh,” Sam gulped. “Think she spotted us?”

Tony’s text tone went off as Steve and Bucky felt their own phones vibrate in their pockets. Nat and Wanda pulled out their phones as well as Sam continued to stare at the light before getting his.

 

**_Group chat: Earth’s Mightiest Family_ **

 

**_Remington:_ ** _ YOU GUYS FOLLOWED US?! >:( _

**_Bucky:_ ** _ Huh? We’re at home. _

**_Remington:_ ** _ Liar. I could hear you shouting from down here. _

**_Wanda:_ ** _ We did not shout. _

**_Sam:_ ** _ We’re leaving right now _

**_Nat:_ ** _ SAM! _

**_Sam:_ ** _ What?! I’m cold, they’re fine, we can leave. _

**_Sam:_ ** _ You two make a cute couple btw. _

**_Remington:_ ** _ You guys are determined to make sure I die of embarrassment aren’t you? _

**_Bucky:_ ** _ No, but we could arrange that if you wanted. _

**_Remington:_ ** _ DO NOT WANT. REMINGTON DOES NOT WANT! _

**_Steve:_ ** _ We just wanted to make sure you guys were safe. _

**_Remington:_ ** _ I’m 16! What trouble could I possibly get into? _

**_Tony:_ ** _ Believe me sweetheart, you don’t want me answering that question.  _

**_Remington:_ ** _ We’re fine!  _

**_Wanda:_ ** _ We’ll leave. Don’t worry _

**_Remington:_ ** _ Promise? _

**_Steve:_ ** _ Absolutely. _

**_Sam:_ ** _ Hell yeah. _

**_Nat:_ ** _ Yup. _

**_Tony:_ ** _ Five more minutes. _

**_Remington:_ ** _ Uncle Tony! _

**_Bucky:_ ** _ I’m dragging him home now, doll. Be safe. Love you. _

**_Remington:_ ** _ Love you guys too.  _

 

Bucky smiled as he turned off his phone and looked down at the rink. Remington caught his eye and gave him a small wave before turning her attention back to Alexa. 

“We got lucky, huh?” he asked. 

Tony nodded and clapped his hands together. “Well, I guess it’s time to head home,” he admitted, a sad smile crossing his face. “She’s growing up so fast.”

“She’s always going to need us,” Steve replied. “Just not in the same ways as when she was younger.”

Tony groaned and looked up at the sky. “Oh god, just wait until she goes to college!”

 

* * *

**Remington’s POV**

 

Remington shook her head and smiled as she put her cell phone back in her pocket. She still couldn’t believe her aunts and uncles had followed her on her first date. She looked up and waved at Bucky before he disappeared behind the overlook.

“Hey, was that your family?” Alexa asked, looking up. She caught a glimpse of Bucky dragging Tony away from the top of Rockefeller Center. 

“Oh, um, well,” Remington stuttered. She coughed and grinned sheepishly. “Maybe,” she finally admitted. 

Alexa’s jaw dropped open in disbelief. “Your family's here? Why didn’t they say hi?”

_ Kill me now _ , Remington thought. “Well, you see,” she explained, “they, uh, might have...followed us here. But they just left, I swear! So they’re not going to bother us.” Remington took a deep breath and waited for Alexa to yell or run away or both. 

A small laugh escaped Alexa, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. Her shoulders shook as she tried to contain the giggles, but soon, she was doubled over in laughter.

“That is too funny!” she guffawed. “My gosh, my parents did the same thing for my first date!”

“Seriously?” Remington chuckled, relieved that Alexa wasn’t angry.

“Totally!” Alexa exclaimed. “I was at the movies, and my mom and dad were in the back of the theater the whole time! They swore it was just a “coincidence” they were at the same movie.” She shook her head. “Parents, am I right?”

Remington giggled and nodded. “It’s nice that they care about you,” she said.

“Same for you.” Alexa looked at Remington and held out her hand. “Wanna skate some more?”

Remington interlocked her fingers with Alexa’s and grinned for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. 

“Definitely.”


	8. Part 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eighteen year-old Remington moves into her college dorm with a little help from the Avengers.

Tony wheezed as he carried two large suitcases up a narrow staircase. The elevator had been completely full when he entered the lobby, so he figured taking the stairs would be easier. Drenched in sweat and completely out of breath, he realized much too late that he should have just waited for the damn elevator. Why Remington insisted on staying in a college dorm was beyond him.

Ah, college.

Despite the fact that New York University was merely a few subway stops from the Avengers Tower, Remington wanted to get the full college experience. That meant living on the sixth floor of a building with no air conditioning and sharing a bathroom with twenty other people. Tony had been trying to convince her to live at home all summer, but her mind was set.

She would be studying psychology at NYU, and she would be living on campus. 

Tony finally reached the sixth floor and shoved the suitcases through the doorway. The hall was packed with other new students and their families trying to settle into a home away from home. He reached room 626 which was more crowded than the other rooms. Everyone had insisted on coming to help Remington move into her new dorm. Even Thor had made an appearance, and he was currently trying to win a battle against the cable. He grunted in frustration as he continued to get no channels. Nat finally took pity on him and helped with the task.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” Tony gasped as he walked into the room. “That’s the last of the suitcases.”

“Thank you, Uncle Tony!” Remington squealed, giving him a hug. She pulled the suitcases towards her closet and dresser and began eagerly unpacking them with Wanda’s help.

“Smile, Tony,” Steve whispered, patting his friend on the back. “She’s happy.”

“But why does she have to live on campus?” he whined. 

“College experience? Meeting new people? I could keep going if you want,” Steve replied with a smirk. His expression became serious as he watched Remington rush around her side of the room trying to make it perfect. “I’m gonna miss her too,” he admitted. “But she’s not far away. And this’ll be good for her.”

Tony sighed. “I know, I know.” He paused and looked at a box of school supplies on Remington’s desk. “Hey Remington?” he asked. “Do you want help unpacking?” 

Remington turned around and smiled. “That would be awesome!” She ran over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you!”

Tony smiled and began unpacking. He and Steve handled her desk while Thor and Nat finished up with the TV. Sam and Bucky used bed risers to raise her bed and roll her storage bins underneath. Wanda helped Remington organize her closet. With everyone working together, they were able to get the room done in no time. 

“What time does your roommate get here?” Bucky asked as he laid on the floor to take a break. 

“Ummm, I think in a few hours,” Remington replied. “Her flight’s not getting in until four.” Her roommate was a German international student named Elsie. They had been texting and Skyping all summer after discovering they were going to be roommates. Elsie seemed really nice, and she and Remington had a lot in common. 

“Well, I think that’s it,” Nat said, looking around the room. “You’re all unpacked.”

“It looks good, kiddo,” Sam added, giving the room a once-over. 

The bed was covered with a grey blanket and purple sheets. A light blue lamp sat on top of a desk behind the new laptop Tony had bought for her high school graduation. The corkboard above her desk was covered with pictures of Remington and her family, and a large whiteboard calendar hung on the wall next to her bed. One wall was still blank for the posters and pictures Remington would no doubt add over her college years. Her washbasket was hiding at the bottom of her closet, and her shower caddy was on the top of her dresser. 

“Miss Remington!” Thor thundered. “My best wishes for your college experience!” He patted her shoulder and began walking out the door. “I shall wait for you all by the car.” With one last bow, he left.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Remington asked. 

“You’re all unpacked,” Sam replied. 

“Oh,” she said. She forced a smile as she said goodbye to her aunts and uncles.

“We are so proud of you,” Wanda cooed, stroking Remington’s hair behind her ears. She placed a kiss on Remington’s forehead and waved goodbye. 

“Good luck, Remington,” Nat said, giving her niece a hug. “Don’t forget your pepper spray and the defense moves I taught you.” Remington giggled as Nat followed Wanda out the door. 

Sam and Bucky scooped Remington up in a huge hug as they said their goodbyes. She squealed as they both kissed her cheeks. “You’re such goofs!” she yelped. 

Bucky ruffled her hair. “Love you, kid. Be good.”

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” Sam added.

Tony and Steve gave her two last hugs. “You can come home any time,” Tony said. 

“Tony…” Steve warned.

“What?! I’m just letting her know!” 

Steve smirked and shook his head. “Love you, Remington.” 

Remington stood rooted in her spot as she tried to put a brave smile on her face. After she watched Tony and Steve leave, she stared around at her room. It looked so...lonely. Her throat burned and tears pricked her eyes as she realized she was alone for the first time since she was little.

“Hey, Remington I forgot my phone...” Steve panted as he walked back into her room. Remington gulped and wiped at her face as she turned her back to Steve so he wouldn’t see her cry.

“Here it is,” she sniffed, grabbing his phone off her desk. She handed it to him without turning around. Steve’s hand came to her shoulder and slowly moved her so she was facing him. By now, a few tears had escaped, and she felt her face flush with shame.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Steve asked, wiping a few stray tears off her cheeks.

Remington shook her head and swallowed thickly. Steve gently pulled her into his chest and gave her a hug. A dam burst inside of her, and she began to cry freely.

“I c-ca-can’t do thi-this,” she sobbed. “I want to live at h-ho-home.”

“Home isn’t that far away,” Steve reassured her. “And you can come visit anytime you want. But living here is something you really wanted. What changed?”

Remington buried her head deeper in Steve’s chest. “I don’t want to be alone,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. “What if I don’t make friends?”

Steve’s heart melted at Remington’s confession. “You’re not alone,” he promised. “We’re close and Alexa is right down the subway line at Columbia. You’re going to make so many friends, you won’t have any time to be lonely.”

Remington peeked her head up. “Promise?”

Steve nodded confidently. “Promise.” He thought back to the first day he found Remington, and how scared she was. At eighteen years old, she had truly grown into an amazing young woman. He could have easily convinced her to move home and commute to school. But it was time for her to grow up and do things on her own.

It was time to let go.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered, choking back a few tears of his own. “You’re going to be just fine.”

Remington nodded and finally pulled back from the hug. “Can I call you once a day?” she asked.

Steve chuckled. “Honey, you can call whenever you need me. I’ll always be there.” 

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too,” he replied.

A knock on the door caused Steve and Remington to turn around. Two girls stood in the doorway and smiled.

“Hey! I’m Gabriele!” the one girl exclaimed.

“And I’m Riley,” said the other. “We live down the hall.”

“I’m Remington,” Remington replied shyly.

“We’re going to grab some food from the dining hall,” Gabriele announced. “Want to come with?”

Remington’s eyes lit up at her first college invitation. “Yeah!” she replied enthusiastically, her sadness completely forgotten. She raised her eyebrows at Steve expectantly, and he took the hint.

“Well, I’ve got to get going,” he said. “Bye, Remington. Remember what I said.”

“No worries!” Remington practically pushed him out of the room after she grabbed her wallet and student ID. She, Gabriele, and Riley practically skipped down the hall to get food. Steve couldn’t help but smile as he watched his niece start making friends.

She was going to be just fine.


	9. Part 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sophomore in college, Remington struggles with the stress of midterms. Can Bucky and Wanda help her deal with the craziness of college life?

Remington took a deep breath as she glanced over at her digital clock. 2:24am. She wearily rubbed her eyes and blinked back tears. Freshman year had been so much easier than this. She had always been an amazing student in high school, so her study habits had paid off. Sophomore year just seemed so much harder. The classes were more intense, and the amount of reading she had to do to keep up with each of her six classes was ridiculous. 

Elsie shifted in her bed across the room, but otherwise, she remained blissfully asleep. Remington knew she needed to go to sleep, but with midterms coming up on Monday, she wanted to study as much as possible in the next four days. Well, three now, considering she was already into Friday.

Remington’s eyes drooped as she tried to continue studying her notes. Before she knew it, she passed out on top of her desk.

 

* * *

 

The sound of quacking ducks filled Remington’s ears. She slowly blinked her eyes at the streams of sunlight coming through her dorm window. Grabbing her phone, she cursed aloud as she realized what time it was.

“I’m gonna be late!” she yelped, hopping up. Oversleeping meant that she had exactly ten minutes to get dressed and run three blocks to her 8am class.

“Shitshitshitshit,” she grumbled as she quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants. The lights in the room flickered at her distress, and she couldn’t calm down long enough to make them stop. Two swipes of deodorant under each armpit, and she was off with her backpack in hand. She bolted down the street and up two flights of stairs to make it to her class only a few minutes late.

A few students looked up from their notes as Remington shuffled into a seat and pulled out her own notebook. The only problem was, it wasn’t the right notebook. Remington searched through her backpack for her gender studies notebook but couldn’t find it. She blinked back tears as she realized she must have left it on her desk. She turned to the very back of her physics notebook to take notes, her cheeks blushing with shame. Only freshman made stupid mistakes like bringing the wrong notebook to class.

The lights in the classroom flickered a few times, and the class murmured in response. Remington tried taking a deep breath, but her nerves were so fried, that the lights would only stay calm for a minute or two before flickering again.

The end of class couldn’t come soon enough, and Remington tried to negotiate going back to her dorm for the rest of her notebooks. Unfortunately, she scheduled four classes back to back so she would be done in the early afternoon. She continued her day as a frazzled mess until lunchtime. Instead of sitting down and taking a breath, she ordered a sandwich to go and rushed over to start her shift at the library. Even though the Avengers regularly sent money and care packages, Remington wanted to be responsible and earn her own spending money.

Today was an unusually busy day at the library. With everyone panicking about midterms, it was crowded. Everyone seemed to need help finding a book, and Remington picked up so many discarded snack wrappers she wanted to scream. She actually short-circuited a nearby computer, but thankfully, no one was using it at the time. It was a long, slow five hours, and Remington was ready to cry by the time her shift was over. The constant flickering lights did nothing to alleviate her stress. She was overworked, underfed, and sleep deprived.

So when Uncle Bucky and Aunt Wanda were waiting outside her dorm with a two pizza boxes and several pints of ice cream, she actually did cry.

“W-w-what are you doing here?” Remington asked when she saw her aunt and uncle. She tried to smile, but it felt forced.

Wanda looked at her niece knowingly, and stroked Remington’s hair behind her ears. Remington’s wall broke, and before she knew it, she was crying in the middle of the sidewalk outside her dorm.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Wanda whispered as she pulled Remington in for a hug. With his arms full of food, Bucky did his best to comfort her as well.

“You’re sending off some pretty strong vibes, kiddo,” Bucky joked. “Wanda felt you all the way from the Tower.”

Remington pulled back and hung her head. “M’ sorry,” she mumbled.

Bucky handed the food tower to Wanda, and tilted Remington’s chin so she was looking at him. “There is absolutely nothing to be sorry for,” he replied firmly. “Why don’t we go up to your room, eat some pizza, and talk about it. Sound good?”

Remington wiped her eyes and nodded. She led Bucky and Wanda up to her room, which was thankfully empty. Elsie was spending the weekend studying at her boyfriend’s apartment a few blocks away, so she was already gone.

Despite the early hour, Wanda insisted Remington take a shower and get in her pajamas. She plated the pizza and put the ice cream in the freezer while she waited for Remington to get back.

The hot water felt great against her skin, and Remington sighed as she felt some stress leave her body. By the time she got back to her room, her stomach grumbled in hungry agony. Bucky was perched at the top of her bed, so she quickly curled up into his chest and eagerly took the plate Wanda handed to her. He let her devour a whole slice before delving into a conversation.

“So what’s going on?” he finally asked.

Remington sighed. “It was a bad day,” she admitted.

Wanda scooted closer to Remington and patted her knee. “School?”

Remington nodded as she continued to eat her pizza. “Midterms are next week, and I’ve been trying to study, but there’s so much to look over. Plus work’s been really busy, and I overslept today.” She paused and took a deep breath. “It’s just been a little intense,” she admitted.

Squeezing Remington in his arms, Bucky kissed the top of her head. “I say, we take a break from studying. And…” Bucky lowered his voice in a dramatic whisper. “We should eat ALL the ice cream Wanda and I brought.”

Remington’s eyes got wide. “All of it?” she asked, smiling at her aunt and uncle.

Bucky and Wanda nodded mischievously. “All of it,” Wanda replied. She grabbed the remote off the TV and took a pint of ice cream out of the freezer. Bucky moved over with Remington, and Wanda sat next to them. Soon, all three were curled up and watching the newest Disney movie.

It was exactly what Remington needed.


End file.
